Inversely, not sleeping has detrimental effects on all these bodily functions, as well as our ability to focus. While a sleep-deprived person may focus as well as a well-rested one, the problem lies in refocusing. Humans naturally lose focus on tasks. When we’re rested, our brain kicks in here and draws our attention back in. When we’re tired, we are unable to do so. This is where we lose productivity and get frustrated and stressed.
For optimum health physically and mentally, exactly how can we avoid being one of these sleep deprived workers, parents, students, etc? You may have heard the popular statistic that 8 is the golden number when it comes to hours of sleep each night. In fact, studies show while there is no one-size-fits all, people who sleep 6.5 and 7.5 hours per night live the longest healthiest lives. Additionally sleeping 5 hours might be better than sleeping 9 hours a night, according to a study published in Time Magazine.
Personally, many of us sleeping less than 8 hours a night, will likely find ourselves struggling to regain focus throughout the day. Its seems after sorting through a handful of studies we encounter a sleeping dilemma; don’t sleep more than eight hours because it might effect your life span, but make sure to get eight hours of sleep so you can achieve optimum health and productivity during waking hours. So, the best solution various experts and we see is to take naps!
Your body is naturally designed to have two sleeps per day, and studies have shown taking naps can greatly improve your wellness on the long and short term. Among these benefits are reduced stressed, improved stamina, boosted creativity, better motor skills, enhanced sex drive, help with weight loss, and reduced risk of heart attack.
Many companies allow employees to take naps at work, including Google. If you work from home, allow yourself a break in the afternoon to recharge and go back to work. If you’re a stay-at-home parent, use your kids’ naptime to recharge your own batteries. When they wake up you’ll feel better too. If your company doesn’t allow naps, use your lunch break to head home for a power nap, recline the seat of your car and close your eyes a while, or simply just find a quiet corner to close your eyes and rest them even if you’re not actually catching Z’s.
Now that you’re well informed, are you ready for your nap time? See what the benefits of different lengths of naps are and how to optimize them.
This article is brought to you by Zepter International in the efforts to inform and equip consumers for healthier and longer lives with knowledge and the right tools. Find out more about our mission at www.zepter.com.